It is not only the Government that is the lethargic and ineffective, NGOs too which undertook to relocate tsunami-affected schools, have yet to start work on new schools, even after a lapse of eight months, mainly due to bureaucratic problems and inefficiency, education officials charged yesterday.

The education authorities had decided to relocate 17 schools in the Kalmunai Education Zone, lying in the 100-metre buffer zone, and the NGOs had pledged to build them in the new locations.

A top education official in the area told the Daily Mirror yesterday that the reconstruction of only one school had started, but other NGOs had failed even to submit their master plans to the Ministry, though lands had been identified to relocate them. In the Akkaraipattu Education Zone, 11 affected schools had been identified to be relocated, and only one is being reconstructed now. Still, the lands have not been identified for four schools. The NGOs that undertook to reconstruct six other schools, have yet to start work.

UNICEF, the Italian Cooperation, USAID, the Goal and others are among the NGOs that undertook to reconstruct the tsunami-affected schools in Ampara district. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Zonal Education Office, Hambantota, said that some principals had been engaged in school reconstruction work, after obtaining funds from the NGOs, without informing the Education Ministry.

“This is being done to pocket assistance, and therefore action will be taken against such errant principals. There is a proper procedure to be followed for this purpose. Nobody can deviate from it without the Ministry’s permission,” he said. He said that reconstruction of St. Mary’s College, Hambantota, was undertaken by a Norwegian NGO, but they were yet to initiate work, even after submitting the master plan